While I was watching the West Virginia Mountaineers get beat by Kanas University I was surfing the web. While I was doing that I ran across The Discovery Channel’s Motorcycle Guide.
Their Motorcycle Guide has a lot of video, including their top ten “Greatest Motorcycles Ever”. As well as a link to their shows “American Chopper” and the “Devils Ride”.
If they had a show about the “Greatest Motorcycles Ever” I must have missed it. If you have the time take a look.
C&O Canal: Nolands Ferry
My most recent stop on the C&O Canal is Nolands Ferry. For background on what I am doing with the C&O please look at this post.
Location – Nolands Ferry
Mile Marker – 44.6
Historical Comments -The reported location Martha Washington crossed the Potomac River on the way to visit George Washington at Valley Forge.
Nolands Ferry is also a Paleo-Indian period archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More information on the archeological site can be found here.
Ride to Site – Getting to Nolands Ferry requires you ride through abundant farm land. Be on the lookout for slow moving farm equipment. Pay attention as well for deer and other wildlife crossing the road.
Amenities – picnic tables, boat ramp, restrooms
Road Conditions (from main road) – First half paved, second half hard packed gravel/cinder
Railway Situation – Underpass
Parking Lot Conditions – Hard packed gravel and cinder, use a kickstand puck.
Main Attraction – Boat ramp
My Thoughts –This site is primarily a boat access point for the Potomac River and a rest stop for those using the C&O trail. It is interesting in that the road to the amenities passes through what, I think, is the remains of the canal and lock.
Map
The area around Nolands Ferry
Since the C&O Canal is nearby and there does not appear to be any motorcycle ride discussions or comments about the sites I decide to do just that, discuss the C&O Canal from a rider’s point of view.
You will have to bear with me on this as I am not going to hit all the sites immediately but as I get around to them. I might have them all by the end of the year, next year! 😉
I have already stopped at a couple and I will go back and redo them with the intent of what a rider should expect when going to each site.
Some things you should know about the canal as a whole:
The layout I intend to use to describe each site is as follows:
If you have any suggestions on adding/changing the above list let me know.
Monocacy Aqueduct C&O Canal
We have all seen texting while driving whether or not we are in our cars or on our motorcycles. A friend sent me this info-graphic on the fines, or lack thereof, by state. It is interesting to see the WIDE differences between the states and WOW…. Alaska fines you $10,000!
My most close call with a distracted driver occurred a few years ago when a lady talking on her phone began to drift into my lane. I had nowhere to go move to and after hitting the horn and rev’ing the engine (loud pipes) I only got her attention when I kicked a large dent into her car door.
I think that this person would have driven in another car, truck or building.
A video showing off the SilverBullet. Built by Gasser Customs this bike is a great example of what can be done with older bikes. The video is well shot and a nice 5 minute view.
Anyone have a reason the link is displaying not the video? BTW I am using the native iPad app.
Suzuki is conducting a safety recall of 210,228 GSX motorcycles. The recall is due to faulty master cylinders which are causing “decreased stopping performance”.
The bikes affected by the recall are:
GSX-R600. Years 2004-2013
GSX-R750. Years 2004-2013
GSX-R1000. Years 2005-2013
Suzuki Motors of America states it will notify owners of the problem beginning “next month”. If I owned one of these I think I would call the dealer before my stopping performance is decreased to much. 😉
I was disappointed after watching Top Gear (USA) at Sturgis last night. It started out quite strong with the guys on scooters and completing challenges to move up to bigger bikes. But it went down hill from there.
Rutledge wrecked his scooter, on purpose it appeared to me, to lose the first challenge (this is a guy that claims to have two bikes in his garage). He would later go on to drop a Street Glide twice. The guys who won the challenge (Adam & Tanner) began riding Yamaha 250’s but also began wearing full face helmets. From this point forward there were times I was not sure that they were on the bikes, I got the feeling that “stunt doubles” were used.
The next challenge was to ride three members of a band (I forget the name) across town to the Buffalo Chip. Adam ducked out and got a side car, Tanner stopped at a bikini bike wash and Rut stopped to allow his passenger to get water and cigarettes. It was here that the most contrived moment of the series let alone the show occurred. Rut accidentally knocked down two bikes.
First, I am not sure he even touched the bike to cause it to fall into the second bike. Second, the bikes looked like 1980’s dual purpose motorcycles that might not even run. Third, no one prevented him and his passenger from leaving, I have been at rallies where this has happened, folks do not let you leave until the owners of the other bikes arrive.
OH, and of course Tanner won the overall contest and got to race a car against a motorcycle.
Overall, I think this is the worst episode of Top Gear (USA) ever. I love the show as a whole and watch it every week but this one just sucked.
It’s all fun and games until the elk gets an attitude!
Kinda like the eailer post where a wolf chased a motorcycle!
This week on Top Gear the boys go to Sturgis. History Channel describes this episode as:
“The Top Gear hosts embark on a two-wheel road trip through South Dakota to the world’s largest automotive event, the annual Sturgis Bike Week. Starting out on scooters and needing to pass challenges to progress to the bigger bikes they’ll need to ride to fit in at the rally, the hosts go through hell as they close in on Sturgis. The winner will race a super-charged Ariel Atom against a 200 mph sports bike, while the loser will have to take part in a stunt, courtesy of HISTORY channel’s newest series, American Daredevils.”
While a lot of folks do not care for this version of the famous BBC show, I enjoy it. The biggest issue I have with the show is that Tanner (the professional racer) always wins the contest to drive the hot cars. Come on, I want to see one of the other guys wreck a $200,000 car!
Not sure what is going on with the Fox News website but this is the second motorcycle related posting in the last few weeks. Whatever is going on… Keep it up. Any time we get positive motorcycle news on major sites is a good day!
This article is a safe riding reminder from a Connecticut State Police
Motorcycle Patrol Officer, and can be viewed here
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 